This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. Primary support for the subproject and the subproject's principal investigator may have been provided by other sources, including other NIH sources. The Total Cost listed for the subproject likely represents the estimated amount of Center infrastructure utilized by the subproject, not direct funding provided by the NCRR grant to the subproject or subproject staff. Bates College's goal is to increase institutional capacity in the area of molecular biology and functional genomics in order to increase faculty/student research and to promote collaborations across the disciplines. INBRE funds have been essential in creating a molecular biology research suite and a cell culture room. The molecular biology suite has centralized instrumentation that was previously spread across many labs, providing a central, convenient location for faculty and student use. The cell culture room has expanded cell culture facilities into the chemistry building. These spaces have continued the transition to a culture of shared equipment that began with the establishment of the Bates College Imaging and Computing Center made possible by our prior INBRE support. Sharing space and equipment has cut costs. It has also initiated cross-disciplinary work by the faculty and by student researchers by increasing the occasions that people from different labs see each other. The enlarged capacity resulting from INBRE funding has allowed growth in the number of student researchers each summer and in faculty labs during the year;current INBRE funding will enable Bates to support the interested students with summer and academic year research experiences and to provide their supplies.